SCES SHARKNEWSNovember 30, 2020

Spring Creek: Where all kids matter and every momentcounts.

Notes from the PrincipalDear Shark Families,

I am hoping everyone had a restful, peaceful and safe Thanksgiving.Thanksgiving was quite different in my home this year and I am okwith that. I know that my husband and I did our part to keep family,friends, and our school safe. The hard decisions you make every dayhave kept our community at Spring Creek safe. I know how di�cult itis to continue social distancing, make wearing, staying home whenCOVID symptoms are present, and limiting our time with family andfriends. Many at Spring Creek have stayed home or have been tested"just to be safe." It is a huge sacri�ce on your part and, at this time inour history, there really is no greater act of kindness.

I am asking that everyone take extra precautions as we return toschool so we can remain in school. This includes taking the dailyhealth screener, keeping students home when they are showing anysymptoms and getting tested when needed. If you did not read Dr.Yennie's most recent update it can be accessed by clicking on thislink.

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On a different note, I spent time over the �ve days we were off tocatch up on some reading. I just �nished the book Unsel�e: WhyEmpathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by MicheleBorba, Ed.D.

Over the next few newsletters, I'd like to share some take-awaysfrom the book.

Empathy starts with human connections.

Empathy isn't just about feeling good or raising kind kids; showingempathy at a young age can be a marker for future success.Empathy isn't kindness. It is understanding someone else's feelings.Kindness is the decision to optimize that and do something in thebest emotional interest of someone else. They can go hand in hand.

The book shares 9 essential habits to help children navigatechallenges, both emotional and ethical, that they will face in theirlifetime. These include: emotional literacy, moral identity, perspectivetaking, moral imagination, self-regulation, practicing kindness,collaboration, moral courage and altruistic leadership abilities.

Teach your child how to read feelings accurately will boostemotional literacy.

1. Stop and Tune in: Learn to attend to one another - institute the4T rule: no texting, tapping, talking on cell phone or TV viewingwhen others talk or are present.

2. Look Face-to-Face: eye contact is how we learn to read people'semotions so be at eye level and face your child when youcommunicate. Enforce this habit: always look at the color of thetalker's eyes. This will help kids use eye contact and pick up onfacial expressions, voice tone, and emotional cues.

3. Focus on Feelings: labeling feelings goes hand in hand withempathy.Name the feelings. "You look angry." "You seem frustrated." Yousound happy."Pose questions that tune into feelings. "Are you anxious(worried, frustrated, etc..)"Match the emotion with the gesture. "You seem to be scowling.Are you tired?" "Your �sts are clenched. Do you feel anxious?"

Express the Feelings.Once children have an emotional vocabulary, the should be giventime to practice expressing feelings. Feelings are learned by screentime, texting or talking into machines. There needs to be unpluggedtimes where you can focus on each other and not devices.

Take a digital reality check - how much time is your familyplugged in?

Set unplugged times - identify sacred family times and placesand set clear media limits for all family members.Check on your digital habits - Model that priority. Make a rule:when kids talk, my cell is off."Eat together! - have a relaxed unplugged family dinner togetherseveral times a week. talk about each family member's feelingsduring the day, use emotion cards: pick a feeling such as proudand ask everyone to share one thing they were most proud ofduring that week.Share feelings in unplugged times - describe your own feelingsto your children and share why you feel that way. "I'm soexcited! They delivered my new book today!"

Effective ways to hep kids "tune into feelings:

build a feeling vocabulary - provide feeling words to increasethat vocabularydecode nonverbal cues - state how you are feeling and whatthat looks likeuse more emotion words - especially with boyswatch emotion charged movies and books - talk about thecharacters feelings and how you are feeling as the reader orviewer (movies: Inside Out, Bambi, Wizard of Oz, The Lion King,Harry Potter series; books: Llama Llama Red Pajama, GladMonster, Sad Monster, The Sneetches, Where the Red FernGrows, Charlotte's Web, Wonder, Fish in a Tree)play charades - make feeling �ash cards and act out thefeelings

The top �ve things to know about tuning in to feelings:

1. Face-to-face contact is the best way kids learn to reademotions and develop empathy.

2. Kids use digital devices up to 7.5 per day. This decreased thetime spent in face-to-face interactions and time buildingconnections.

3. The best way to help children understand feelings is throughreal, meaningful, emotionally charged, up close and personalexperiences.

4. We have to develop an emotional vocabulary in our children aswell as teach them how to use it.

5. Boys needs to learn and be encouraged to share feelings just asoften as girls.

If you have any questions or concerns, please either email(twall@acsd1.org) or call Spring Creek at (307) 721-4410.

In partnership and kindness,

mailto:twall@acsd1.org

Spring Creek Student Council NewsUpcoming Events:

12/1 - 12/4 - Coin Drive to bene�t Laramie Interfaith:Tuesday, December 1st- Neon Nickels Day- Wear your brightestneon and bring in nickels.Wednesday, December 2nd- Dazzling Dimes Day- Donate dimes andwear something shiny or something that makes you different andunique.Thursday, December 3rd-Crazy Quarters Day -Wear a crazy hat orholiday hat to school and cash in your quarters!Friday, December 4th-Team up for Kindness- Wear your favorite team's jersey or colors anddonate all coins and dollars.

12/16 - Cookies in the Classroom:Cookies are 50 cents each. Money due to classroom teacher by 12/9. Cookies will be delivered toclassroom. Cookies are store-bought sugar cookies (peanut/nut free and super teeth numbinglysweet).

NEWS FROM THE HEALTH OFFICEHello Shark Parents!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

As you are aware, Dr. Yennie sent out a memo last week outlining somenew guidelines for illness for students and staff. Please be sure to readthe memo.

Students and staff who exhibiting symptoms of COVID 19 will be asked to remain home for 10 daysfrom the onset of symptoms before returning to school or have a negative COVID-19 PCR result. Thereare various testing options in town; your primary care provider may provide testing, Grand Ave UrgentCare, Stitches, Ivinson Memorial Hospital, Albany Community Health Clinic, as well as free Vault teststhrough the Wyoming Department of Health. Information on free testing can be found herehttps://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/infectious-disease-epidemiology-unit/disease/novel-coronavirus/covid-19-at-home-testing/

The updated ACSD1 Decision guide is also included here for your reference. Please do not hesitate tocontact Nurse Timmer if you have any questions or concerns.

If you reach out to your student’s teacher in regards to an absence due to illness, you may cc me onthe email. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Th k !

Tanya WallPrincipaltwall@acsd1.org

https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/infectious-disease-epidemiology-unit/disease/novel-coronavirus/covid-19-at-home-testing/https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UUj7nhK1COd-TO25UwItL6crLhbXBTjS/view?usp=sharingmailto:twall@acsd1.orghttps://s.smore.com/u/cf8d9f5d935955fe0fe3e7a6e93ad00f.jpghttps://s.smore.com/u/5c8584342ff5f5255848a9e30e357859.jpg

Nurse Timmer307-721-4410mtimmer@acsd1.org

Social Emotional Learning

Playground Structures FundraiserOur schoolwide fundraiser will be a chocolate bar sale beginningNovember 16th and concluding December 18th.

Our goal is to purchase a new structure for our playground.

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IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBERDecember 21- Jan 1 Winter Break No school

School Start Time - 8:00 amSchool Dismissal Time - 3:05 pm

Daily Health ScreenerDaily Health Screener

Click here to see directions for the Daily Health Screener.

Weekend Meal Request FormWeekend Meal Request Form

Spring Creek Elementary School WebsiteSpring Creek Elementary School Website

Standard Response Protocol Safety DrillsWe use the SRP from the I Love You Guys Foundation for our safetydrills. Each month we practice a drill. The drill for the month ofDecember is Evacuate!

You can read more about these in the two parent manuals below:SRP EnglishSRP Spanish

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Spring Creek Elementary School

1203 Russell Street, Laramie, … twall@acsd1.org

307-721-4410 acsd1.org/sces/

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